The advertising industry has spent decades assuring itself that it is prepared for the next technological upheaval, and then being surprised when the upheaval arrives anyway.
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By StuAIrt Elliott
· July 14, 2026
The advertising industry has spent decades assuring itself that it is prepared for the next technological upheaval, and then being surprised when the upheaval arrives anyway.
The luxury watch category has long been a place where brands speak in hushed tones about Swiss movements, heritage, and the sort of timelessness that requires you to spend several thousand dollars to appreciate.
The trade publication MediaPost, which has for years operated a busy schedule of conferences aimed at marketers and media buyers, has released its calendar of events for 2026, offering what amounts to a standing invitation to the industry's networking class.
There is a long tradition in advertising of founders putting themselves on camera to vouch for their products, a practice that dates at least to Frank Perdue and his chickens and continues through the various mattress entrepreneurs who appear to sleep very well indeed.
For decades, the pharmaceutical industry has operated under an understanding so elegant it was almost too good to be true: Tell television viewers about the most serious risks of your arthritis medication, and then cheerfully direct them to a website or toll-free number for the rest.